Faculty Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is an internship?

An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting, allowing the student to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths. In addition to the syllabus, it is defined by a written agreement called the Internship Learning Agreement (ILA) and involves direct supervision by an employer and oversight (and assignments!) by a faculty member.

An internship is typically one-semester in length with a definite beginning and end. Students at UNG must have completed a minimum of 48 hours to register for an internship. Host organizations may require that students have completed more hours or specific classes in order to intern. Students are supervised by both a designated site supervisor employer off campus and a designated Faculty Instructor of Record who teaches in the student's major or minor. Both site supervisor and the Faculty Instructor of Record are identified in the ILA.

Can a student receive internship credit in any major, and who can supervise him/her?

Internship course credit can only be given in the student's major or minor, must be directly related to that major or minor, and must be supervised by a faculty member in that major or minor.

Must the student pay tuition?

Students must pay the normal tuition rate based on the number of hours of credit granted through the internship.

Can a student receive internship credit in a different semester from when the experience was completed?

No. Students pay tuition and receive credit the same semester in which they intern. If they do not complete all requirements by the end of the term, an incomplete or in progress grade may be appropriate. They should be aware that such grades may have implications for their GPA until a grade change request is made.

Is the Internship Faculty Instructor of Record responsible for helping students find internships?

Ultimately, students are responsible for finding their own internships. However, faculty members are encouraged to assist by sharing ideas, contacts, etc. Career Services is also available to help with the process, and maintains information on locations where other students have previously interned. Internship postings can be found on the UNG Job Board.

If faculty members have information about potential internship opportunities not listed on the UNG Job Board, this information should be forwarded to Career Services on the faculty member's home campus. The internship coordinator can then help determine if the internship opportunity seems valid and will follow up with the organization to encourage the posting of the opportunity, etc.

How will I know about potential internships for my students? Will I be notified of opportunities?

In addition to using professional contacts and referring students to Career Services, faculty members are welcome to access internship postings that may be listed on the UNG Job Board. To access the opportunities that are available to students, please contact your campus's Career Services office for an access ID and password.

In addition, numerous internship-related search engines can be found on the Career Services website under Internet Resources.

What are my responsibilities as an Internship Faculty Instructor of Record?

Internship Learning Agreement- Once a student finds a place s/he would like to intern, s/he will complete the Internship Learning Agreement (ILA), including outlining the tasks and learning objectives of the internship. This should be done in conjunction with the site supervisor, and signed by both the student and site supervisor. The Internship Faculty Instructor of Record must turn in copies of the signed ILAs to Career Services by the end of the drop/add period (see section 3.13 of the faculty handbook).

Determine Credit Worthiness-The Internship Faculty Instructor of Record then determines if the responsibilities and learning outcomes outlined in the ILA are substantive and pertinent enough to merit academic credit. If so, s/he signs the agreement and sends copies of the completed ILAs of all students s/he is supervising to Career Services for tracking purposes at the end of the drop/add period. All parties who sign the agreement are strongly encouraged to keep a copy of the ILA. Individual departments may also require that a copy of the ILA be sent to the department head or kept in a central location within the department as well.

Review Syllabus- The Internship Faculty Instructor of Record should customize the syllabus of the internship course as needed.

Monitor Progress- The Internship Faculty Instructor of Record should stay in contact and/or interact with the intern and site supervisor as appropriate and in accordance with his/her department's expectations. Academic-related assignments should also be monitored.

Evaluate Experience- The Internship Faculty Instructor of Record is responsible for evaluating students' performance and progress. Upon request by department, Career Services can send out evaluations to the internship site supervisor about the student, and evaluations to the student about their experience, which are forwarded to the Faculty Instructor of Record for use in evaluating the intern.

Assign Outcome- Depending on the department and based on assigned written work and evaluations, the faculty member will assign a letter grade or a different type of outcome as determined by his/her department (pass/fail, satisfactory/unsatisfactory).

Do I need to visit the internship location?

When possible, it is an excellent practice to visit the student and his/her site supervisor at the internship location. Not only does this create positive relationships with the supervisor for possible future internship assignments, but it helps the Internship Faculty Instructor of Record ensure that the student is "on target" for the tasks and learning outcomes outlined in the Internship Learning Agreement.

Do I have to create a syllabus?

All approved academic classes have a syllabus on file that should be reviewed and adapted as deemed appropriate by that department, including academic expectations, assignments, etc. This is in addition to the completed ILA, although learning objectives and outcomes from the ILA can be repeated on the syllabus. Refer to the UNG Faculty Handbook to determine a typical syllabus template with required supplemental syllabus information.

How are internships graded?

This will be according to the individual academic department's guidelines. Depending on major, students may be required to have outside reading, reports, journals, portfolios, reflection papers, or other documentation of work, all of which can be used in the assignment of an outcome.

If a student is required by the internship site to provide a background check prior to the internship, how does he/she go about doing that?

If the employer does not provide a specific provider that must be used, students can typically secure a background check through a sheriff's department.

What if the internship is out-of-state?

If the student has decided to complete an internship out-of-state (other than Georgia), the Faculty Internship Instructor of Record MUST notify the Distance Education & Technology Integration (DETI) office in order for UNG to be in compliance with state authorization laws. DETI staff may be reached at 706-867-2520 or deti@ung.edu.

What about virtual internships?

It is up to the department and/or the Faculty Internship Instructor of Record to decide whether to allow virtual internships or not. If they are allowed, they should be vetted very carefully to ensure they will provide a robust and relevant learning experience that is worthy of academic credit. As with any internships, there should be clear learning objectives and tasks, and it would be helpful to set expectations of training, how often the site supervisor will interact (virtually or in person), etc. As with any internship, if it is not relevant, or if there is doubt related its legitimacy, it should not be approved by the Faculty Internship Instructor of Record.

Where can I find out more information?

Visit Career Services' website and view the Internships tab, or call the Career Services office on your campus for more individualized assistance.

All references to "internships" are referring to those which are done for academic credit.

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